My Kid-less Vacation Checklists

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I have been humming “Jamaica, Bahamas, come on pretty mama…” for weeks now. Y’all, my husband and I are taking a vacation to Jamaica and we are not bringing our daughter along.

I cannot wait to spend six days in paradise, but the thought of leaving my little girl is causing me serious anxiety. To quell my angst and hopefully help some of you who might be planning your own kid-less vacation, I put together a few lists to prepare myself and my daughter for a week away.

Get house ready for mom and mother-in-law invasion:

  • Clean my house (not my most favorite thing)
  • Make sure there are clean sheets and towels
  • Have all the kiddo’s laundry clean, folded, and put away
  • Have hubby mow the lawn

Take a trip to the store for essentials:

  • Stock the fridge and pantry with toddler-friendly food
  • Coffee and wine for grandmas
  • Cat food and litter
  • Diapers and wipes
  • Toilet paper, paper towels, dishwasher detergent, laundry detergent
  • Extra set of keys for mother-in-law

Write down and leave with Grandma:                                                                        

  • Our travel itinerary complete with hotel info and phone numbers
  • Important phone numbers (pediatrician, poison control, water/electric company, good neighbors)
  • Instructions on using the TV/DVR/computer/sound machine/video monitor/coffee maker
  • Daughter’s routine (I don’t expect this to be followed to a T, but a general idea of what she does and when every day will help curb meltdowns)
  • Cats’ feeding schedule (they will eat us out of house and home if we let them)
  • Trash/recycling day

Put this super important stuff somewhere they can find it:

  • Insurance card
  • Copy of medical release form (print, fill out, and notarize copies for both grandmas)
  • Records: birth certificate, will, etc.
  • First aid kit complete with Tylenol, Motrin, Band-aids, sunscreen, thermometer, tweezers, gauze, and tape
  • Spending cash
  • Library card, zoo membership card

Random things they should know:

  • Location of breaker box
  • Where to find flashlights/matches/candles
  • Daughter’s age, weight, height, allergies (she has none thank goodness)

I took a trip to the dollar store and picked up a few goodies for when we will be gone (bubbles, stickers, a new coloring book). My mom and mother-in-law can decide when to give them to Nora, probably somewhere between 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. when all hell tends to break loose. I am so fortunate to be able to leave my precious girl in the very capable hands of my mother and mother-in-law. I know Nora will have just as much fun as her Dad and me.

Did I miss anything? Comment below with how you prepared for a kid-less vacation. 

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